Oktoberfest! Ja! Wir saufen viel Bier!

If this year is anything like the last few years, then come the middle of September about six million people will be driving, flying or otherwise arriving in Munich, Germany for this year’s Oktoberfest. The word “Oktoberfest” conjures images of bacchanalian festivities featuring hirsute men in lederhosen, more pork and pretzels then one can shake a stick at and dirndl clad beer wenches sloshing golden, hopped barley water down the gullets of the inebriated masses.

I don’t see the necessity to challenge this image of the 200-year-old festival, as that is largely what it’s about. It began, however, in 1810 as a celebration for the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig I to Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Now, you probably don’t know who Ludwig I is (the grandfather of Ludwig II, the man who built the iconic fairytale castle Neuschwanstein…you’ve seen it) but suffice it to say, this marriage was a big deal. Festivities were held in fields named after the Crown Princes and there were horse races to mark the event. The tradition continues today with 2011 marking the 178th Oktoberfest. There were a few years when Oktoberfest could not be celebrated due to wars, cholera outbreaks and some small economic issues during the Weimar period.

Given the association with beer, one could easily be made to think that Oktoberfest is a free-for-all of drink, but there are some rules involved. For example, only six breweries are allowed to provide beer for Oktoberfest, some of which you’ll undoubtedly recognize: Spaten, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu and Löwenbräu. And there is only one type of beer that is traditionally served at Oktoberfest, Wiesn Märzen, a brew named after the fact that the original festival was held in a field. Various wursts, vegetable dishes and baked goods are also a traditional offering.

Oktoberfest is celebrated by beer and food enthusiasts throughout the U.S. as well. To bring it to a more local, and therefore relevant level, many bars and pubs in the Philadelphia area have Oktoberfest celebrations going on during the month of September. Some of the pubs taking part in these festivities include:

Brauhaus Schmitz on South Street from Sept. 19-24

South Philadelphia Tap Room will be offering several Oktoberfest beers and various sausages on Sept. 18th in honor of Oktoberfest.

McGillin’s Olde Ale House  on Drury St. will be taking the whole month of September to honor the festival with several Oktoberfest inspired beers and foods.

Finally, ArtsQuest in Bethlehem will be putting on an Oktoberfest at the SteelStacks campus, sponsored by America’s oldest brewery, Yeungling. Oktoberfest goes from Sept. 29 – Oct. 2, takes a break for mid-week then starts up again Oct. 6 – 9. This is more of an event than a pub having special beers and there is a cover of $8 advance or $10 at the gate. But that’s a small price to pay to see a Dachshund race!

Details about all of these events are available at the venues’ websites, and all of them are on Facebook!